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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wax — to grow
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com